Our hearts belong to Sicily

Here we are back in Sicily and loving it. No matter where we finally live the last years of our lives, this will always be the place we remember with loving fondness. I never thought Sicily would feel like home but here we are....home.







It is the season of roses and strawberries and cherries and watermelon. Yum. We've had dinner with our Italian friends twice. The first just the weekend after we arrived and the next a week later. The second meal was up on the mountain at the home of Cicio (chee chee o) and Graziella (graht zee ell a). Good friends, great Italian food. Can't get better than that.


The day was hot at our house but up on the mountain it was nice and cool. They live on a farm-type property with cherry trees, apple trees, pear trees.....all perfectly groomed with not a weed in sight on the ground. There are even concrete paths lined with roses to walk through the grove. They also have many things used years ago by Sicilians and Alfio (another friend) made sure we understood what each was for.



Also, Cicio and Graciella made sure we understood that if we needed a place to stay, either after our furniture was sent or upon returning to Sicily for vacation, they would love for us to stay with them. Giusseppe and Mimma have made the same offer so we are never going to be without a place to stay. What wonderful people.


Yesterday we went to the outdoor market in Misterbianco where we always spend too much and get great things. I decided I had to have some sheer curtains and some tablecloths to bring back to the states. The price is much more reasonable here. So, I bought curtains at 3 euro each and a tablecloth for 6 euro. Then I got cushions and a tablecloth for our marble table and some odds and ends of things to add to the already full bag. Poor Bob, he was carrying all that through the crowds. Not heavy, but very bulky.

Next we drove up the mountain to our favorite spot at a winery. We thought since it was a beautiful day, we could get a great view of the land. From the Gambino winery property on Mount Etna you can look clear out to the sea. We were excited to see it one last time before returning to the States. Going up the mountain we travelled the winding roads and noticed it becoming first cloudy, then foggy, then rainy so that by the time we got there, we couldn't even see past the yard, let alone to the sea. So we bought a little Sicily wine to send to the States and returned on the winding road (winding road here means 180 degree turns every few feet). The weather changed back to beautiful as we came down the mountain until at home it was just as we had left it. By the way, the mountain winery is (as the magpie flies) only 15 miles away.


Driving on the small highway, we came upon a horse and buggy painted with red, yellow, blue scenes. The horse was decorated, too, so they must have been going to or coming from some sort of "festa". Now this isn't something you see very often in Sicily. Quite unique, so Bob said he would go slowly and I could take a picture. Here are the two pictures I got.





















Where in the world did Tracy inherit her great photography skills from? Certainly not me.


We are looking forward to coming back to the States but we will always belong to Sicily.